Which Beyoncé album began the trilogy that continued with Cowboy Carter?

Renaissance began the album trilogy that continued with Cowboy Carter.

Beyoncé released Renaissance on July 29, 2022, as her seventh studio album. The dance-oriented record was described as the first act of a three-act project. Its follow-up, Cowboy Carter, arrived in 2024 as the second act and explored country and broader American musical traditions.

Renaissance includes the lead single “Break My Soul,” which became Beyoncé’s first solo number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 since “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” The album also features “Cuff It” and “Alien Superstar.”

The trilogy’s third act had not been released as of 2026. Renaissance was widely praised for its house, disco, funk, and dance influences, and it won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album.